Connecticut DEEP Celebrates National Hunting and Fishing Day

Bow hunting season started last week but today the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is celebrating National Hunting and Fishing Day at the Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area and Education Center in Burlington.

This free event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and there will be oodles of outdoor-related activities and demonstrations for kids and adults to sharpen their skills before the rest of the hunting season starts.

Activities for all ages are planned, along with interesting programs and workshops abouthunting and fishing, including:

• Field dog demonstrations
• Target shooting (.22 rifles and BB guns)
• Archery (including 3-D archery)
• Casting pools
• Live birds of prey demonstration by “Talons”
• Hunting and fishing workshops on a variety of topics
• GPS and Geocaching workshop
• Kid’s crafts and activities

Attendees also will have the opportunity to speak firsthand with DEEP biologists about wildlife and fisheries topics, as well as with representatives from a variety of conservation,hunting, and fishing organizations. 

Children can participate in several fun activities and crafts, such as track making, face painting, a scavenger hunt, and a chance to see live raptors and reptiles. The Congress of Rough Riders of Naugatuck, Connecticut, will provide scheduled demonstrations of Cowboy Action Shooting.

The event also marks the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program. Hunters and anglers pay special taxes and fees on certain hunting and fishing equipment, and this money is then distributed by the WSFR Program to state fish and wildlife agencies for fish and wildlife management projects. The Connecticut DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources has received almost $125 million from the sportsmen-funded WSFR Program over the past 75 years.   

Handicapped and limited public parking will be available on site at Sessions Woods. Overflow free shuttle parking will be available at Lewis S. Mills High School, 26 Lyons Road, off of Route 4 in Burlington. The Friends of Sessions Woods will be selling food and drinks during the event, or you can bring your own picnic lunch. 

More detailed information about Connecticut Hunting and Fishing Appreciation Day and Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area can be found on the DEEP Web site at www.ct.gov/deep/HuntFishDay. Sessions Woods is located on Route 69 (341 Milford Street) in Burlington.

From a press release issued by DEEP